Chapter 502: The Medium

Li Banfeng stood on the awning, quietly observing the battle.

Regardless, it was a battle.

Lightbulb's performance was relatively normal; after all, he was only a first-tier Oil Cultivator. His ability to protect himself against the rolled mat indicated he had improved significantly in Prole State. As for Tangyuan, Lightbulb had previously mentioned she was a fourth-tier cultivator.

Her "fourth-tier" status was somewhat… abstract.

It could be understood that Tangyuan herself wasn't adept at combat; she specialized more in surveillance, wiretapping, and intelligence work. Tangyuan's intelligence gathering skills displayed at Xiaoyao Dock were truly… on par with her combat abilities. As for Celebrity, he was injured, so his combat ability couldn't be assessed at the moment. His feigned death, however, looked quite convincing.

The rolled mat charged again, and Tangyuan couldn't dodge. Li Banfeng kicked the rolled mat away. Tangyuan shouted to Lightbulb, "Master Qi will provide cover for us! Take Celebrity and withdraw from the battlefield for now."

Li Banfeng covered his face.

"In this situation, please don't mention me. Restraint, I must show restraint. I cannot underestimate them, I cannot mock them, and I cannot judge the Dark Star Bureau's overall combat strength solely based on these three."

Brake sounds echoed from a distance, as more agents joined the fight. The first to arrive was Chunin Qin Minghui. This young man's cultivation wasn't high, but his combat awareness was good. After firing a few shots and realizing his pistol had limited effect on the rolled mat, he immediately changed tactics. He used a dagger to slice the rolled mat. Enraged, the rolled mat charged at Chunin. Chunin tried to stab it again, but the dagger got stuck and couldn't be pulled out. Chunin remained calm, immediately abandoning the dagger. He picked up a piece of broken tile from the ground, used it as a blade, and cut another opening in the rolled mat. This act of casually picking up weapons clearly indicated he was a martial cultivator. While the two gashes didn't seem to affect the rolled mat's combat strength, Chunin successfully diverted its attention, allowing Celebrity an opportunity to withdraw from the battlefield.

Lightbulb shouted, "It has oil on it, Chunin! Find an opportunity to set it on fire!"

Chunin glanced around the residential building, which was scheduled for demolition, noting the piles of debris nearby. "No fire!" Chunin replied to Lightbulb. "Setting it on fire might not subdue it and could cause a larger blaze!"

Li Banfeng watched Chunin for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Another screech of brakes sounded, and a tall, slightly dark-skinned, beautiful woman rushed to the base of the residential building. Lightbulb exclaimed, "Sister Candied Fruit, you're here!"

Candied Fruit calmly said, "Hold it."

Chunin and Lightbulb together held the rolled mat in check. Candied Fruit wet her finger with her tongue and left two watermarks on the mat. The mat fell to the ground, rolled for a moment, then became motionless.

Li Banfeng gave her a look of approval. This woman named Candied Fruit was a Binding Cultivator, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and an experienced agent. Her combat ability was quite decent!

Candied Fruit assigned tasks to everyone: "Tangyuan, you, Chunin, and Celebrity will guard the anomaly here and await backup. Lightbulb, you and I will go upstairs to evacuate the trapped residents!"

Li Banfeng covered his face again. "Her combat ability is passable, but her command ability is significantly lacking."

Chunin raised an objection: "It's not yet confirmed that this rolled mat is a dark energy entity."

Candied Fruit paused for a moment and asked, "Then what else could it be?"

Chunin pointed to the tag on the rolled mat: "This mat was manufactured in March of this year. It's unlikely to have become a dark energy entity in such a short time."

Candied Fruit thought for a moment: "This could be a Spiritualist's battle spirit. I overlooked that."

She had overlooked it. This oversight, if not corrected, could cost lives.

"Spiritualist" is the Out-of-State term for a Nightmare Cultivator. This rolled mat was likely a Nightmare Cultivator's ghost servant. In such a situation, subduing the mat wasn't the end of the battle. Rushing into the residential building could very well lead to a surprise attack from the Nightmare Cultivator.

Li Banfeng looked at Chunin again. So far, he was the only one who had made correct decisions. Candied Fruit, holding the highest rank among the agents, immediately devised a new plan: "Lightbulb and Celebrity will guard the battle spirit here. Chunin, you and Tangyuan will come with me upstairs to apprehend the Spiritualist!"

The new plan involved bringing one more person upstairs, which was correct. An extra person meant an extra means to counter a sneak attack.

Before they could enter the stairwell, a flowerpot flew down from a third-floor balcony, heading straight for Candied Fruit. Candied Fruit, agile, dodged the flowerpot. The cactus inside it jumped out and pricked Celebrity's face with thorns. Celebrity cried out in pain and collapsed. Lightbulb tried to rescue Celebrity, but a drying rack flew down from upstairs, hooking towards Lightbulb's head. Chunin tried to come to Lightbulb's aid, but a mop fell from upstairs and started beating Chunin. Tangyuan wanted to join the fight but couldn't find an opportunity to act.

While the battle raged downstairs, on the third floor, a man climbed out a side window, a rope tied around his waist, preparing to jump down. Li Banfeng jumped to the window, seized the man, tied him with the rope, threw him back into the room, and instructed, "It's dangerous outside. Wait here for a moment." This man was the Nightmare Cultivator. The mop, flowerpot, and drying rack downstairs, including the earlier rolled mat, were all his ghost servants. This Nightmare Cultivator was clearly a resident of the building, but why would he order his ghost servants to attack other residents? Was he intentionally exposing himself?

Li Banfeng had already guessed the reason, but he still couldn't discern the true strength of the Dark Star Bureau. Downstairs, chaos reigned. Lightbulb ran around, Celebrity lay scattered everywhere, Tangyuan was still looking for an opening, and Candied Fruit and Chunin were locked in a back-and-forth battle with a group of ghost servants. An enamel spittoon flew down from upstairs, preparing to join the fray. Li Banfeng reached out, caught the spittoon, and leaped into the third-floor apartment. This spittoon was also a ghost servant. Its ability to participate in the fight meant it could also untie the Nightmare Cultivator.

The Nightmare Cultivator was trying to escape again. Just as he reached the door, Li Banfeng grabbed him, pulled him back, re-tied him, put the spittoon over his head, and had Tang Dao stand guard nearby.

Downstairs, the battle hadn't ended. Under the assault of the flowerpot and drying rack, Candied Fruit sustained minor injuries, and her consciousness wavered slightly. The bindings on the rolled mat also loosened. The rolled mat stood up. Among these ghost servants, the rolled mat was on a completely different level. If it fully broke free, the battle could shift dramatically.

"No, don't let it shift," Li Banfeng thought, unable to watch any longer. He walked among them, holding the Blood-Infused Pendulum, and swiftly made a mark on each ghost servant. All the ghost servants became motionless. The Blood-Infused Pendulum could harm spirits. Li Banfeng's strike was swift and fierce, inflicting severe damage on the spirits, rendering them naturally immobile. Normally, Li Banfeng wouldn't even need the pendulum. With his current cultivation, a single kick with "Trample Ten Thousand Rivers" would scatter the souls of these ghost servants. However, if he were to use "Trample Ten Thousand Rivers" now, these security officers would not be spared either.

Seeing Li Banfeng effortlessly subdue all the battle spirits, Candied Fruit looked at him in surprise: "You are...?"

"This is from our bureau's..." Tangyuan tried to introduce him but hesitated, unsure how to proceed. During missions, security agents usually referred to each other by code names as a security protocol. Of course, Chen Changrui usually didn't mind this; he'd respond to "Captain Chen" during missions. But Master Qi's identity was different. Exposing his rank and name during a mission was clearly inappropriate.

While Tangyuan was still struggling with this, Li Banfeng urged, "Stop chatting. Go upstairs quickly and apprehend that Nightmare Cultivator. He's on the third floor, the apartment that was throwing things out. Don't go to the wrong one."

Candied Fruit nodded, about to assign roles, when Li Banfeng said, "No need to assign roles. Have this one stay." He was referring to Celebrity. Celebrity was still lying on the ground. Li Banfeng approached him and said, "Get up first, open your eyes, and don't be afraid. You wait here and watch these ghost servants. If they move, you shout loudly. Understand?"

Celebrity, sitting on the ground, nodded.

Candied Fruit was still standing still. Li Banfeng looked back and said, "What are you waiting for? Go upstairs now!"

Everyone went upstairs. Li Banfeng, having already leaped through the window, untied the Nightmare Cultivator's ropes and removed the spittoon from his head. "They'll be here in a moment," he instructed the Nightmare Cultivator. "Fight them well. If you can win, I'll let you go!"

After giving the Nightmare Cultivator a few instructions, Li Banfeng stood by the window, watching the battle between the Nightmare Cultivator and the Dark Star Bureau agents. This Nightmare Cultivator's cultivation wasn't high, and only one ghost servant remained. In extremely unfavorable circumstances, he fought the security agents for more than ten minutes before being subdued. Lightbulb was the one who subdued the Nightmare Cultivator. He used his Oil Infusion Technique, filling the Nightmare Cultivator's mouth and nose with oil, causing him to fall into unconsciousness from asphyxiation.

Lightbulb's technique caught Candied Fruit's attention. "I remember you didn't know Dark Energy arts before. When did you learn this? Did you report it to the bureau?"

Lightbulb had learned the Oil Infusion Technique in Prole State. As Li Banfeng's informant, Li Banfeng naturally didn't treat him poorly, helping him collect books related to Oil Cultivation from the Lu and He family libraries. These books didn't contain complete techniques, only scattered descriptions. Lightbulb, however, was diligent and, through summary and exploration, finally mastered the technique. But he dared not speak of this openly, so he hadn't reported it to the bureau. Now that Candied Fruit had noticed, Lightbulb became very nervous.

Candied Fruit pressed, "Did you report it to the bureau or not?"

Lightbulb, with a flash of inspiration, looked at Li Banfeng and said, "I reported it to Director Li."

Everyone looked at Li Banfeng.

"Yes, he reported it to me," Li Banfeng nodded. "The Dark Star Bureau is truly strict, requiring a report even for learning a new technique."

Candied Fruit looked at Li Banfeng but still couldn't recall his identity. Li Banfeng had only recently arrived, and only mid-level management and above in the Dark Star Bureau had interacted with him.

Chunin asked, "You're from Prole State, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"'Nightmare Cultivator' is a term from Prole State. Here, we call them 'Spiritualists'."

Li Banfeng did not deny it. Dark Star Bureau reinforcements hadn't arrived yet, and Celebrity had contacted external police officers to begin evacuating residents from the building. Seizing this opportunity, Li Banfeng asked them a question: "Why do you think this Spiritualist attacked the residents of this building?" This battle left Li Banfeng puzzled; he couldn't grasp the true combat strength of these security officers. Perhaps it was due to the suddenness of the situation and the agents' lack of preparation. Li Banfeng believed that, at least in terms of knowledge, the security agents' expertise should be solid, as the Out-of-State regions were indeed better than Prole State at summarizing the characteristics of various cultivation paths.

Candied Fruit, holding the highest rank, began her analysis first: "This Spiritualist likely wanted to gain attention through a violent incident, a not uncommon occurrence among illegal dark energy users."

Chunin disagreed with Candied Fruit: "If he wanted to gain attention, he shouldn't have committed the crime in such a remote location. His battle spirits possessed everyday objects; he could have easily taken the rolled mat to a crowded area to create a more sensational violent incident."

Candied Fruit said, "But you've overlooked a problem: in crowded places, it would be difficult for him to escape."

Chunin countered: "From the current situation, this Spiritualist didn't immediately flee the scene after committing the act. Moreover, with his abilities, he could have easily escalated this incident further, yet only one death occurred. Simply explaining it as an act to create a violent incident doesn't make logical sense."

Candied Fruit had no reply. Celebrity then continued: "This Spiritualist must have been a long-term resident of this building. While using his dark abilities, he was accidentally discovered by the deceased. To silence the witness, he ordered his battle spirit to attack the victim."

Chunin said, "If it were to silence a witness, the Spiritualist should have immediately made the battle spirit leave the scene after succeeding. It's impossible for the battle spirit to remain at the stairwell entrance. This explanation still doesn't hold up."

Celebrity was silent. Tangyuan then put forth a bold idea: "He might have left the battle spirit at the entrance on purpose to lure us in. He could be a member of a dark energy organization, and their target might have originally been the Dark Star Bureau. Their backup could arrive at any moment, and we might be in danger."

Hearing this analysis, everyone grew tense. Candied Fruit picked up her phone: "This needs to be reported to Captain Chen immediately!"

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "Don't rush."

Candied Fruit paused, unsure whether to follow the Deputy Director's instructions.

Chunin also disagreed with Tangyuan's theory: "If they intended to attack us, the best opportunity would have been when we were fighting the battle spirit downstairs. At that time, we had no remaining strength to resist more enemies. Even when we rushed upstairs to engage the Spiritualist, that would have been a good time for them to strike. Yet, until the battle ended, there were no surprise attacks. The opponent repeatedly missed strategic opportunities, which doesn't make sense."

Tangyuan wanted to continue arguing with Chunin, but seeing Master Qi remain silent, she also kept quiet. To be honest, Tangyuan felt embarrassed. Everyone knew she wasn't good at combat, and Tangyuan didn't insist otherwise. But to lose to a junior in case analysis was something Tangyuan found hard to accept, especially in front of Master Qi.

Celebrity also seemed unconvinced, snorting, "Since what we said isn't logical, why don't you tell us something that is?"

Chunin stated his idea: "I don't think it's that complicated. The cause of this incident was likely the Spiritualist's 'over-boundary command' behavior." At this point, Chunin specifically looked at Master Qi: "Over-boundary command behavior is very common among Spiritualists. In Prole State, this behavior is called 'a small horse pulling a big cart'."

Candied Fruit was startled. The knowledge Chunin possessed surprised her. There were many types of dark energy user professions, involving extensive knowledge, and Candied Fruit usually didn't pay much attention to Spiritualists. However, when Chunin mentioned "over-boundary command," Candied Fruit did recall something. Noticing Celebrity's confused expression, Chunin specifically explained: "Almost all Spiritualists engage in 'over-boundary command.' A second-tier Spiritualist might control a third-tier or even higher-tier battle spirit. This is because battle spirits are deceased souls; although they retain their original tier, their combat strength is significantly reduced. A third-tier battle spirit might only possess first-tier combat strength. For a second-tier Spiritualist, controlling a third-tier battle spirit is very normal. However, the rolled mat we encountered downstairs, solely based on its speed and destructive power, exhibited third-tier combat strength. Its actual tier might have been above fifth-tier. In such a situation, if the Spiritualist is only second-tier, it's 'a small horse pulling a big cart'; the cross-boundary command fails, and the battle spirit loses control."

Lightbulb largely agreed with Chunin: "That rolled mat must have gone out of control. It killed the old lady while it was out of control. I've seen things like that in Prole State too."

Celebrity asked, "Since the battle spirit killed someone while out of control, why didn't the Spiritualist escape?"

Chunin explained: "Because battle spirits retain traces of their Spiritualist to some extent. If a battle spirit is captured, the Spiritualist's identity can be determined through examination. Before Lightbulb and Celebrity arrived, the Spiritualist still wanted to find an opportunity to recall the battle spirit to clear himself of suspicion. He achieved some success; as Lightbulb mentioned, this battle spirit initially wouldn't attack targets beyond ten meters—that was the lingering effect of the Spiritualist's control. However, Lightbulb and Celebrity were already on the scene and began fighting the battle spirit. In this situation, the Spiritualist first chose to protect himself, abandoning control over the battle spirit. After some time, the battle spirit completely lost control again and began actively attacking Lightbulb and Sister Tangyuan. From the Spiritualist's perspective, he still harbored a sliver of hope: if the battle spirit were completely destroyed by us, deemed a dark energy entity, there might be no evidence left to implicate him. But the battle spirit was captured alive by Sister Candied Fruit. Out of desperation, the Spiritualist could only release other battle spirits to buy himself a chance to escape."

After hearing Chunin's analysis, Candied Fruit gave him a thumbs-up: "Good lad! No wonder Captain Chen thinks so highly of you. You've really put in the effort!"

"Don't embarrass me," Chunin said, constantly looking at Master Qi as he spoke, eager for his approval. "If Director Li hadn't intervened, that Spiritualist might have escaped long ago."

Master Qi nodded slightly at Chunin, and Chunin's eyes showed unconcealed pride. Tangyuan looked at Chunin, then at Master Qi. She lowered her head, biting her lip tightly.

After waiting a while longer, Captain Chen Changrui arrived. Upon learning the general course of events, he dispatched personnel to escort the Spiritualist back to the bureau and ordered the others to secure the scene. The mission was handled reasonably well, and Chen Changrui praised everyone.

Candied Fruit shook her head: "I arrived too hastily, without any preparations. If Director Li hadn't come to support us, who knows what this operation would have turned into."

Chen Changrui paused: "Which Director Li are you referring to?"

Candied Fruit thought for a moment: "The one from Prole State."

"Where is he?" Chen Changrui looked around.

Celebrity, standing nearby, said, "Director Li said he went back first."

Chen Changrui looked around again: "Where did Lightbulb go?"

Celebrity replied, "Director Li said he doesn't know how to drive, so he asked Lightbulb to drive him back."

Chen Changrui was puzzled: "He can't drive? How did he get the car here then?"

"Perhaps he got a designated driver," Celebrity offered, unable to provide a better explanation.

Chen Changrui noticed Tangyuan standing in the corner, her face filled with bewilderment and dejection. "How was Tangyuan's performance in this operation?" Chen Changrui asked Candied Fruit.

Candied Fruit shrugged, saying nothing.

On the way, Li Banfeng asked Lightbulb, "Do you know all that knowledge Chunin was talking about?"

Lightbulb shook his head: "With a hundred schools of thought under heaven and ten thousand cultivators in the world, so many different paths, who dares to claim they know them all? I don't really understand Nightmare Cultivation. Chunin was lucky today; he happened to have studied Nightmare Cultivators, so he could show off in front of you. If it were a different cultivation path, he might not know anything."

Li Banfeng asked again, "Is this knowledge something security agents are required to master?"

"According to regulations, yes, we should master it. We have exams every quarter."

"What happens if you don't pass the exam?"

"A fine."

"And then?"

"Nothing else. You just take the exam again next quarter."

Li Banfeng then asked, "What's the penalty if you learn a technique and don't report it?"

Lightbulb was startled: "That's a huge penalty! I could be demoted from a permanent agent to a probationary one. For the next three years, I wouldn't be eligible for commendations or advancements, and promotion would be out of the question."

Li Banfeng pondered for a long time but still couldn't understand the Dark Star Bureau's management philosophy.

Upon reaching his residence, Li Banfeng instructed Lightbulb: "After you interrogate that Nightmare Cultivator, get me a copy of his confession."

Inside his Portable Residence, Li Banfeng recounted the battle to Phonograph. Hearing this, Phonograph was puzzled: "My lord, from what you've said, the Out-of-State regions' combat strength is truly lacking."

Li Banfeng nodded: "Not only is their combat strength weak, but the Dark Star Bureau also seems to not want them to become stronger. If one day Prole State were to invade the Out-of-State regions, I truly don't know what they would use to resist."

"Your humble servant heard that the Out-of-State regions have a type of bomb that can destroy an entire city with one strike. Is that true?"

"Yes," Li Banfeng nodded. "That's called a nuclear weapon. But in a life-or-death situation, would they even have a chance to deploy it?"

"Your humble servant believes the Out-of-State regions must have other capabilities, but they are hidden too deeply and they don't want you to know, my lord."

"What kind of capabilities could they be?" Li Banfeng embraced Phonograph and went to sleep.

The next day, Li Banfeng changed into a black jacket, one of the Dark Star Bureau's uniforms. The Dark Star Bureau's uniforms also included a suit, but Li Banfeng didn't particularly like the Out-of-State suit styles. Moreover, Dark Star Bureau personnel rarely wore suits in their daily work. He had given his top hat to Chu Er. Li Banfeng still had new ones in his closet, but he didn't wear one. Without the top hat to obscure his face, it was still not easy to discern Li Banfeng's appearance. To be precise, his face would be right in front of you, yet his image in your mind would always remain blurred.

The Dark Star Bureau had prepared a private office for Master Qi. Li Banfeng opened the office system and casually browsed through documents. Lightbulb knocked and entered.

"Master Qi, here's the confession you requested." Lightbulb had other duties, so he put down the confession and left immediately.

Li Banfeng took the confession, read through it, and found the situation largely consistent with what Chunin had said. The suspect arrested last night was a third-tier Spiritualist who, by forcefully commanding a sixth-tier Wanderer spirit, caused the spirit to lose control and kill a neighbor in the same building. A sixth-tier Traveler Cultivator. Where did a spirit of this tier come from? According to the confession, all of this Spiritualist's spirits were bought from the black market. In Prole State, Li Banfeng had never heard of Nightmare Cultivators buying and selling ghost servants. Yet, according to this confession, all of this Spiritualist's ghost servants had been purchased.

What kind of place was the Out-of-State black market? Li Banfeng looked through the phone book and called Tangyuan in.

Entering the office, Tangyuan closed the door. She stood opposite the desk, holding a notebook and keeping her head bowed. Li Banfeng gestured to a chair: "Have a seat." Tangyuan sat on the edge of the chair, occupying only a third of it. Her back was perfectly straight, her head deeply bowed, and her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Master Qi, you called me here about last night, didn't you?"

Li Banfeng was taken aback: "Last night's incident?"

Tangyuan bit her lip: "I'm not good at combat, nor at analysis. I can't even compare to Chunin, who just joined. Do you particularly look down on me, Master Qi?"

"Not at all..."

"You don't need to comfort me. Captain Chen once said I wasn't suited for the security team, but I refused to accept that. I always felt I could contribute. Master Qi, I know I embarrassed myself last night. You can scold me a bit, or even hit me a couple of times. Or, if you want to give me another laxative, I'll endure it right in front of you. Just don't transfer me, don't make me leave the security team..." As she spoke, Tangyuan's voice trembled slightly.

Li Banfeng handed Tangyuan a tissue: "I called you here because I wanted to ask you: How do I get to the black market?"

11:58 PM, Yiping Road, Huahu District, Cultural Palace.

Li Banfeng entered the cinema on the first floor of the Cultural Palace. The movie had just started, and no ticket was needed to enter. *Clang! Crash!* He set down a hard wooden chair in the back row and sat down to watch the movie first. A romance film, unsuitable for regular cinemas, was playing on the screen. According to black market rules, elixirs were being sold tonight. Watching the awkward performances and evasive camera work, Li Banfeng couldn't help but miss "Blood Gun Detective." In terms of artistic depth, the Out-of-State regions still had a significant gap compared to Prole State.

After watching the movie for about ten minutes, a man carrying a box came to sell snacks. He approached Li Banfeng and asked, "Sir, what would you like?" If one wanted to buy elixirs here, the correct answer was to ask for "water," specifically "pure water." But Li Banfeng's reply was, "I want to buy a pack of paper." The snack vendor asked, "Do you want a large pack or a small pack?" Li Banfeng said, "I want a pack with sixteen sheets." These code words were all told to Li Banfeng by Tangyuan. The snack vendor took a pack of tissues and handed it to Li Banfeng, who gave him two yuan. Once the snack vendor walked away, Li Banfeng took the tissues, flipped to the back, and saw three numbers written on it: "205."

Li Banfeng took the tissues upstairs and knocked on the door of private room 205. Tonight, most of the private rooms on the second floor were for elixir sales, but a few were for special businesses. Room 205 was very special. Through the door, Li Banfeng sensed a chilling aura. The private room door opened, and a woman in her early thirties, smoking a cigarette, asked, "Are you here to buy paper?" Li Banfeng handed the tissues he was holding to the woman. The woman glanced at the tissues and invited Li Banfeng inside: "Are you looking to buy someone who can fight, or someone to sleep with?"

Li Banfeng frowned: "I am a respectable person."

The woman chuckled: "Oh, who said you weren't respectable? Which Nightmare Cultivator hasn't slept with a ghost servant?"

Nightmare Cultivator, ghost servant. She was using terminology from Prole State.

"I'll find you one who can both fight and… sleep with. Does that suit you?" There were over a dozen curtains in the private room. The woman pulled one aside, revealing a young woman behind it. The woman introduced her: "This one's new, untouched by others. She had seven-tier cultivation when she was alive, so fighting ability is a given. Whether you can 'sleep' with her depends on your preference."

A seven-tier spirit, with around fifth-tier combat strength. A spirit of this quality was actually available on the black market? Li Banfeng stared at the young woman for a moment, then his eyebrow suddenly twitched.

The young woman wore a dark green long dress, clutched a handful of pagoda tree leaves, and was enveloped in green flames that quietly shimmered around the leaves.

"Why does she look so familiar?"

"It's as if I've seen this young woman before."